News

Apple is reportedly cracking down on the use of the term “podcast.” Wired News reports that Apple has sent Podcast Ready a cease and desist letter, claiming that the terms “Podcast Ready” and “myPodder” infringe on Apple’s trademarks. Apple claims that the two terms could cause confusion among consumers. Meanwhile, ZDNet’s Russell Shaw reports that Apple is seeking a trademark for the term “iPodcast” and that the company “has been experiencing some significant difficulties getting final approval from the USPTO for the iPod trademark.” In the last year, Apple has gone after a number of companies for using the term “pod” in their name or in the name of their products.

The PodDress is new embroidered case for the iPod nano. The PodDress, which features play-through control, can be used as a standalone case or can be attached to clothing, bags or any textile fabric through iron-on. The case is available in two collections—a Classic edition in black and white ($39/set of 3) and a TripleGang collection in pink, blue and green ($39/set of 3). The PodDress also comes in a special edition model with Swarovski crystals ($39 each).

Apple has added ABC hospital drama Grey’s Anatomy to the iTunes Store. The first two seasons as well as the current third season are available. The first season is priced at $14.99, the second at $34.99, while current and future episodes from the third season are available with a Season Pass for $34.99. Individual episodes are $1.99. Grey’s Anatomy centers on the personal and professional lives of the surgical interns at Seattle Grace Hospital.

Wal-Mart has denied a New York Post article saying it is trying to discourage Hollywood studios from selling their movies on Apple’s iTunes Store. According the report, the retail giant has warned every major studio that it will retaliate against them if they work with Apple amid concerns that Wal-Mart’s DVD sales will suffer. “Customers want to watch movies and they want to be able to make the choice when and how they want to view them,” a Wal-Mart spokeswoman said. “While we recognize there are various current and potential providers of this service, we are not dissuading studios from conducting business with other providers.” The Post claims that a Wal-Mart executive told studios there would be “serious ramifications” if they signed with Apple. “They threatened to hurt us in terms of buying less products,” one Hollywood source said. The Post also claims Wal-Mart sent “cases and cases” of DVDs back to Disney when it heard of the studio’s deal with Apple.

Pacific Rim Marketing (PRM) has introduced its Commuter folio case for fifth-generation iPods. The leather Commuter ($60) features a built-in iPod holder, a clear PVC pocket for an ID, credit cards slots, and an envelope-style pocket to hold cash, business cards and other items. The Commuter also includes a zippered compartment for storage of a charging cable and earbuds with cord management posts. The Commuter is available in black calfskin, two-tone Nubuck, and black diamond calfskin.

Apple’s new retail store designs will add more show room for iPods and Macs, and will also feature iPod Bars. The iPod Bars have until now only been in a few Apple Stores. According to Ron Johnson, head of Apple’s retail operations, they will now be standard features in all stores.

Apple CEO Steve Jobs is ranked 49th, with a net worth of $4.9 billion, on this year’s Forbes 400 list of the richest people in America. Last year, Jobs was 67th on the list. [via MacDailyNews]

Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster believes that Apple’s long-rumored iPhone needs to be priced around $300 to gain significant traction. In his latest research report, Munster estimates the average price of music enabled phones currently available in the U.S. to be $317, and notes that now is the time for Apple to release such a product. The analyst also offers survey data from Apple Expo in Paris, which finds that 74% of European Apple customers would be highly likely to buy an iPhone that holds 1,000 songs. “Price is clearly a consideration, however, and many customers indicated that they feel that an iPhone has the same value as Apple’s high capacity iPods,” Munster said. Specifically, the consumers said, on average, they would pay $285 for such a product. Munster expects Apple will announce an iPhone sometime in the next 3-6 months.

Speck Products has announced updates to three of its cases for Apple’s second-generation iPod nano. The 2G nano cases, which will begin shipping next week, include new versions of the ToughSkin, Canvas Sport Case, and Active Sport Armband. The ToughSkin for 2nd Gen nano ($30) features rubberized bumpers, a belt clip and screen protector. It will be available in green, pink, blue, black and clear. The Canvas Sport Case for 2nd Gen nano ($30) features a sneaker-inspired design and is made of canvas and rubber. It will come in green, pink, blue, black and silver. The Active Sport Armband for 2nd Gen nano ($35) is made of breathable mesh and features an adjustable Velcro strap, screen protector, and a pouch for the Nike+iPod Sport Kit sensor.

Almost lost in last week’s new iPod announcements was the iPod U2 Special Edition. In the days following Apple’s special event, the company has quietly updated the black-and-red model to bring it in line with the current “enhanced” fifth-generation (5G) iPod. Apple has also cut the price of the U2 iPod—from $329 to $279—to reflect the newly lowered price of the standard 30GB 5G iPods; the U2 iPod is still priced at a $30 premium over the regular 30GB model. The new version has a new model number to distinguish it from its predecessor.

Digital Lifestyle Outfitters has announced its new Universal Action Jacket, an armband case designed to fit several popular MP3 players, including the iPod nano, the Sansa C, E and M series, Creative Zen Nano Plus and the Samsung K5. The $30 accessory features a built-in adjustable armband, a play-through clear front window, and a storage pocket for earbuds, ID or keys.

Boomwave Products has announced the Podstar Diablo Limited Series for fifth-generation iPods. The white silicone cases are a limited edition run restricted to 500 units worldwide for each of the two models, Pandora and Masque. The cases include a removable screen protector, an aluminum hook, a sterling silver earring, and Podstar ID. The Podstar Diablo Limited Series cases fit the 30GB, 60GB and new 80GB iPods and retail for $33.

Fabrix is offering its collection iPod nano sleeves in four new colors to match the recently announced second-generation nano. Made of corduroy, the new sleeves are available in green, pink, blue and black. They feature internal quilted cushioning and are handsewn. The four new Fabrix colors are available now for $16 each.

iLounge is pleased to announce the winners of our New iPod Countdown Contest, in which we challenged readers to design new iPod and iPod-like devices that Apple Computer might release. Three winners with various types of cool Apple gadget designs were selected from a gallery of beautiful entrants to win pairs of Shure premium earphones. We picked one winning iPod phone, one winning iPod, and one winning iPod-style tablet. The winners are:

Dual Electronics has announced a new iPod-ready mobile theater system for automobiles. The Dual XDVD8182 ($700) features a 7-inch touch-screen motorized TFT LCD display and direct-connection for iPods with Dock Connectors. The single-DIN receiver features 5.1 channel preamp outputs, one set of audio/video inputs, two video outputs, and is compatible with DVD, DVD-R/RW, DVD+R/RW, CD, CD-R/RW, MP3 and WMA media. “When a user connects an iPod via the supplied interface cable, the XDVD8182 becomes a command center for the player,” explains Dual. “Information such as Playlist, Artist, Album, and Track are displayed on the unit’s LCD screen, which is also used for viewing videos stored on the player when the vehicle is not in motion and the parking brake is engaged.”

Nike announced today that more than 1 million miles have been logged by runners using the Nike+iPod Sport Kit in just 10 weeks since Nike and Apple launched the product. Nike noted that this milestone is the equivalent to circling the world more than 40 times. Nike also said it is continuing to expand its line of Nike+ product offerings and plans to add functionality on nikeplus.com, including a route finder so runners can easily map and share their favorite running routes. In October, Nike+ will launch in more markets in Europe, including France, Spain, Italy, Germany and The Netherlands, as well as Japan and Australia. Apple CEO Steve Jobs said last week that over 450,000 Nike+iPod Sport Kits have been sold.

Almost immediately after Apple released iTunes 7 last week, bug reports started surfacing from users on both Mac OS X and Windows. Apple’s discussion boards and iLounge’s forums are both currently host to a number of complaints about the issues—which range from application crashes to audio problems—and the company recently began posting support documents to address some of the bugs. In a related issue, iTunes 7 users are also experiencing problems with getting purchased music working on the iTunes-ready Motorola ROKR and SLVR phones. According to numerous accounts, songs purchased from the iTunes Store will not play on the devices, even though CD-ripped tracks will. Meanwhile, AppleInsider claims that Apple is “well aware of the matter and that it’s toiling feverishly to rectify the issues.” The website claims that Apple hopes to release an update, presumably iTunes 7.0.1, as soon as possible.

Belkin today introduced several new cases for the original iPod nano and fifth-generation iPod. “Designed to fit every lifestyle, the cases reflect a more contemporary feel with colors, designs, and materials that complement current fashions,” says Belkin. The cases will be shipping this month. Read below for summaries of all the new cases. In addition, Belkin also recently announced that its existing line of iPod accessories includes a number of devices that are compatible with the new second-generation iPod nano, including the TuneTalk Stereo, TuneCommand AV, and TuneFM Transmitter.

One second-generation iPod nano owner has created a homemade dock from the nano’s plastic packaging. “Twenty minutes, scissors (the orange ones), a pocket knife and masking tape… and boredom thrown in. Ultimately I now have an iPod dock,” he says.

The Discover Channel is looking for original iPod owners: “You and your iPod can be ‘Discovery’-ed on international television if you send us your high resolution photos (300 dpi, 1000x1000 pixels) of you and your 1st or 2nd generation iPods circa 2001-2002. Contact Bernadette Longino, Associate Producer, The Discovery Channel, Inventions that Changed the World: the iPod: (212) 784-7769, bernadette (at) sharpentertainment (dot) com.”

JVC has announced a new line of iPod-ready home and portable audio systems. JVC’s new “Made for iPod” product line includes the NX-PS1, a compact desktop system with a matching subwoofer; the UX-EP25, a low-profile CD micro system; the RA-P10, a portable system with iPod dock and clock radio functions; and the RC-EZ38 CD/cassette boombox.

Miniot has announced a new version of its iWood case for Apple’s second-generation iPod nano. Like the company’s previous hand-crafted wooden cases, the iWood nano 2G will be available in varieties such as maple, walnut, mahogany, cherry and oak. It’s carved from a single piece of wood, features a hinging lid, and can be customized with a monogram or logo. The case will be available in two versions—a standard version that accepts the dock connector and headphone jacks up to 10 mm with a closed lid, and a lanyard version that accepts Apple’s Lanyard earphones. The iWood nano 2G will ship in early October. Pricing was not available.